Electric utilities have recently begun to monitor customer power usage using “smart” electrical meters. In addition to the overall amount of energy consumed at a location, the smart meters can monitor the quality of the energy and the particular time when the energy was used. The information can be used to more accurately bill a customer. In addition, the smart meters can transmit the energy information to a central location without the need for personnel to observe the meter. In certain examples, the smart meter may require 8 watts to transmit the energy information. When not transmitting, the smart meter may only use 0.25 watts of power. Typical power supply regulators can use 48 milliwatts (mW) or more of power. During non-transmission times, the regulator may use about 20% of the meter power. This is wasted energy. This wasted energy is characteristic of other devices that monitor conditions during standby, such as devices that can be used with a remote control. Significant energy savings can be realized with more efficient power supply regulators.